Can one more drink be dangerous to your health?

One more drink. It’s a phrase that can be heard all too often in the bar and club scene, but it’s one that could have deadly consequences. It is hard to believe that one more drink can be dangerous to your health. However, alcohol is a drug, and it can be as addictive and damaging as other drugs, even if you think you’re only using it on the weekends. Alcohol can ruin the body, causing severe damage to almost every organ. Here are just a few of the many dangers that can happen to your body when you have “one more” drink of alcohol:

The Drinker’s Body Will Crave More Alcohol

Alcohol acts as a depressant on the central nervous system, which causes an increase in serotonin levels. This makes the drinker feel good and relaxed, but it also causes an increased craving for more alcohol. Some drinkers have their drinker’s “buzz” that does not last long; in fact, this is why they often drink more until they get drunk when consuming alcohol of varying amounts. As their body becomes accustomed to drinking alcohol, people will need more and more of it to reach the same feeling of relaxation or euphoria.

The “one drink” May Be More Than One Drink 

It is not uncommon for someone to have one alcoholic beverage and then have another one or two before they realize what they are doing. Many people do not realize how much they have had to drink if they are out with “friends” and everyone is having a good time. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, so you do not care as much about how much you drink. Also, feeling as if you are part of a group of friends can influence you to drink more than you would when you are by yourself.

One More Drink Can Lead to Uncontrollable Alcoholism 

Alcohol addiction is an easily acquired habit pattern. Recovery from alcoholism is a learned process as well as a spiritual, mental, and physical one. The drinker will be in denial about how much they have had to drink and how many drinks they have had. They will feel like they can handle “one or two more” drinks. The drinker will continue to drink until they are drunk. Alcoholic beverages are usually easy to find and consume in a club or bar environment. Alcohol addiction is hard to break because people need to want to break it for themselves, not for someone else. Family members and friends cannot “make” someone quit drinking; the individual needs to want to do it for themselves.

One More Drink Can Bring on A Hangover 

If you drink too much, it is not just your body that may suffer, but you may also wake up with a hangover the following day. Having a hangover the next day is not fun. You may not be able to think clearly, you will be tired and feel nauseous, and your head may hurt like it is going to explode. All you want to do is sleep it off. However, you may find yourself feeling unwell if you do not drink as much water as you can and if you do not eat adequately before you drink. Hangovers are very uncomfortable, and they will make you feel like you have the flu.

One More Drink Can Cause Dehydration 

If you are vomiting, you are also dehydrating yourself. Dehydration is a sign that you have drunk too much alcohol. It may also cause you to develop a hangover. In addition, dehydration causes headaches, dry mouth, constipation, and other uncomfortable symptoms.

Summary


Any of these could result from having one more drink, but often it is a combination of all of them that can occur when you are drunk. If you have a problem with alcohol, you should seek help. If you continue having too much to drink, you will risk damaging your liver and other organs. You may even die. Alcohol addiction is a common problem, but it can be overcome. The best thing you can do is to seek help.

Gaining Control

After having one alcoholic beverage, you need to slow down and stop drinking. “One more drink” has led many people to have far too much to drink, and they have not been able to control their actions the next day. Being able to say “no” to just having one more drink is one of the first steps to living a sober life. Just one drink can lead to alcoholism and a life filled with regret. If you want to stop drinking, you need to stop having that first drink. Alcohol will take control of your life and lead you to ruin if you are not careful. It is hard to believe that drinking a beer or two will make you an alcoholic, but it can.

Taking The First Step

Taking the first step in breaking the addictive cycle of alcohol is the hardest one of all. It can be hard to admit that you have a problem with drinking. Yet, it is the beginning of a new life. The first step is realizing that you need to stop drinking. Next, begin working with a professional to help you with your sobriety. The final step is to work on rebuilding your life. You will find that you will have a new life filled with sober friends and that living a sober life is a happier one. If you are unsure what you should do or where to go to help you stop drinking, you can check out the links on this page. You can also check out the Al-Anon or Alcoholic Anonymous groups, or you can contact a professional group such as Alcoholics Anonymous for more information. 

Our AA meeting directory will be your friend in terms of searching for alcoholic meetings in your local area. We have a comprehensive listing of AA meetings in the United States. The AA meeting directory will help you find the right AA meeting, whether a text-only meeting, a Big Book meeting, a 12-step meeting of AA, or a women’s meeting. We make it easy for you — Searching through our AA meeting directory is easy; simply choose your state or country, and you will be presented with a list of local AA meetings. If you are not sure what AA meeting to go to and you want to talk with someone about AA meeting choices, you can call our helplines, and we will do our best to direct you to a local AA meeting.

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